


Please. Name him Henry.

by SwanQueenRoundRobin



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 18:06:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28514673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SwanQueenRoundRobin/pseuds/SwanQueenRoundRobin
Summary: As the name of this AO3 account suggests, this is a Swan Queen Round Robin. Which means that there will be chapters written by many different writers who shall all be credited.A little project for Swan Queen fan fic writers. I will start with the first chapter and then whoever signs up to contribute will add their own 1 or 2 chapters.
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan
Comments: 17
Kudos: 89





	1. By SwanQueenScotty

**Author's Note:**

> As the name of this AO3 account suggests, this is a Swan Queen Round Robin. Which means that there will be chapters written by many different writers who shall all be credited.
> 
> A little project for Swan Queen fan fic writers. I will start with the first chapter and then whoever signs up to contribute will add their own 1 or 2 chapters.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Henry's babysitter becomes unavailable at the last minute so he ends up at Emma’s work place...

Chapter 1: Babysitter unavailable. 

By SwanQueenScotty

It was after four in the afternoon when Regina Mills finally made it back to her office. Her lunch meeting had run late, and she had already been in a sour mood before leaving her office. Her company took over the top two floors of Golden Towers, a high-rise in Boston’s financial district. On the top floor of that building was where her office lay, along with a conference room big enough to hold a long table with at least 20 seats. They were very comfortable seats if she did say so herself.

She was walking past this conference room while checking her text messages when she saw him. A boy, perhaps around ten years old, was seated at the conference table. And not just any seat. He was in her chair, at the head of the table. It looked like he was working on his homework as he was concentrating intensely on writing something. Perhaps a book report as she noticed an open book on the table to the side of his work. He kept going back to it and then would write some more, his tongue poking out as he wrote furiously on. After staring at this mysterious boy for a few minutes, Regina finally entered the conference room to ask him who he was and why he was sitting in her conference room. She thought that she would grab the boy's attention by just entering the room, but he didn’t acknowledge her at all as she approached him. As she stood next to him while he furiously wrote away - his tongue still poked out the side of his mouth - she noticed he had ear pods in his ears. They didn't look like they were connected to anything, but she could faintly hear some music coming from them. No wonder he hadn’t heard her walk into the room. Clearing her throat wouldn't do much to get his attention, so she settled for tapping him lightly on his shoulder.  
It obviously wasn't light enough, judging by his reaction. He practically jumped a mile high off his seat, clutching his chest dramatically.

"Jeez, mom! Uh, I mean… sorry, I thought you were my mom." 

Regina raised an eyebrow as she crossed her arms.

"Obviously not, dear. May I ask who you are and what you are doing in my seat?" 

Remembering his manners, the boy stood up as he stretched out his hand to shake hers. She cautiously took his hand and was impressed by his firm grip. 

"Hi, I'm -"

"Henry, are you ready to...go?" Emma's eyes widened as she looked between her son and her boss. "Everything okay here?"

Regina looked at her employee with a look of shock. Miss Swan had worked for her as her personal assistant for nearly six months now, and she never once mentioned having a son. She looked way too young to have a son of this age.

"I'll just pack up my things, and then we can go, mom."

"Miss Swan, why is your son here? This is not a daycare. Nor is it 'bring your child to work day.'" 

"I'm sorry, Miss Mills. His regular babysitter was unavailable at the last minute, so I thought it would be OK to let Henry sit in here while I finished work. I didn’t want to take another sick day after being off work all of last week."

"Yes, don't remind me. That temp who covered you was useless. No more sick days for you, Miss Swan." 

Henry had just finished packing up his things when he heard Regina's comment.  
"Hey, that's not fair. My mom can't help it if sh-"

"Yes, Miss Mills." Emma’s face was getting redder by the second. Whether by embarrassment or with anger, she wasn’t sure. She just needed to leave. "Come on, Henry, let's go."

Henry swung his backpack over his shoulder as he walked past Regina and left with his mom, whispering, "I can see why you guys call her "the Evil Queen." Apparently, his whisper was still loud enough for Regina to hear what he had said.

"Excuse me?"

"Uh, nothing. Bye, Miss Mills. Thanks for letting me sit at your conference table." Henry said, blushing furiously.

Before Regina could respond, the pair had left.

SQ SQ SQ

Emma and Henry exited the building on State Street, and since it was such a lovely spring evening, they decided to walk towards their favorite Indian takeaway, Vaanga Boston. Emma's bug was parked near her office, so they could just get the takeaway and take a leisurely walk back to their car.

"So…. Have you given any more thought about our talk from last night?" Emma asked casually. She had been nervous about bringing up the subject at all, but she knew that Henry was curious about it. And since she was once an orphan herself, she knew that he had questions about his situation and why he ended up being given up. 

"I have, actually, but I'm not sure if I want to find out why my birth mom gave me up. I mean, what if she died giving birth to me, or she just didn’t want me? I don't know which is worse." Henry sighed. He had actually been curious, but he was more afraid of the answer than even trying to find his parents. 

"Well, what if they were just a young couple, like teenagers, when they had sex? Teen pregnancies are prevalent. They could have just decided they were too young to look after you or something. Or maybe they were too poor. There were lots of different reasons to give someone up, Henry. And didn’t you say you were adopted as a baby by a charming couple? Your parents must have wanted to give you your best chance in life if they went to the trouble of finding a good family for you. And didn't they request you be named Henry by your adoption family? They must have really given it some thought. Naming your child is a significant thing. I reckon they really loved you, but they just couldn’t keep you for some reason."

"Yeah, I guess. Hey, why are you trying to convince me so hard to find them? Do you not want me anymore?" Henry was just kidding. He knew Emma had also been orphaned. She had even been adopted. The only difference was that when she was just three years old, her adoptive parents got pregnant with their own baby and decided they didn't want her anymore. At least his adoptive parents loved him as their own. Unfortunately, they were tragically killed in a car crash while Henry was at school. He was already eight years old at the time. He honestly loved them dearly, even though he knew he was adopted. They never kept that from him and he loved them as if they were his biological parents. 

"What!? No, Henry, I would adopt you in a heartbeat. You know how much I love you and I-"

"Relax, Emma! I was just kidding. I love you too, you know. I hope you can adopt me, but I know they don't make it easy for single women to adopt kids. I'm just happy you are allowed to foster me. I am already 14, so I only have four more years before I age out of the system. Besides, what's a piece of paper, anyway? To me, you are my mom."

"Thanks, kids,” Emma choked out," thanks for making a grown woman cry!"

"A grown woman?" Henry chuckled. "I don't see a grown woman anywhere!"

"Oy, you!" Emma nudged his shoulder with her own. "I'm taller than you!"

"Barely! And I'm short for 14. I look like I'm 10. My birth parents must have been 2 of the seven dwarves! And you are 28, but look a lot younger."

"Thanks, kid. Yeah, I still get carded when I buy my beer. But you've seen my driver’s license, so you know I'm almost 29!" 

"Yeah, yeah, how do I know it's not fake?" Henry nudged her as he pointed towards the entrance to Vaanga Boston to signify their arrival. 

"Like I would ever do something illegal!" Emma chuckled nervously. "OK, don't answer that. Just tell me what you want."

"Just my usual, please. And can I please have a Fanta grape?" Henry battered his lashes in his most charming manner, knowing he could persuade Emma to do anything with this action. 

"Fine. Only coz it's Friday, Kid." Emma said as she pushed the door open and gestured for Henry to enter the establishment before her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is up!


	2. By SwanQueenOUAT_AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma and Regina talk...

Chapter 2 An Evil Apple  
By: SwanQueenOUAT_AU

Emma arrived early to work on Monday morning. She felt nervous but determined. She stood in her boss’s office, waiting. When Regina Mills strolled in, she looked relaxed; maybe she wasn't mad about yesterday after all. 

"Miss Swan, you are here early." 

"Yes. I need to apologize for my son's comment. And I understand now I should not have brought him here without checking with you first. I am sorry." 

"Well, I certainly was never expecting to hear a 10-year-old call me that. But it isn't the first time I've been called Evil Queen. And as to him being here, well, things happen sometimes." 

Emma felt shocked. She was getting off way too easy.   
"I'm glad you're not mad about it. And my son is 14. I know he looks young." Emma turned toward the door to get to work.

"He is 14 years old? You seem a bit young to have a son so old. I don't mean to be rude, but he hardly even looks like you." There was something in Regina's tone that struck Emma as odd, but she turned back to the conversation.

"I'm in the process of adopting him." Now that Emma was facing Regina again, she could see Regina was trembling. "Gina, are you ok?" 

Regina's features were all tense. "It is Mills to you, and I am fine!" Regina said through gritted teeth. 

Emma felt completely confused about how her adopting Henry was making her upset, yet him calling her Evil Queen wasn't a problem at all. 

"Madam Mills, are you sure you are feeling alright? You are shaking." Emma touched her boss's arm as she said this. 

Regina pulled away sharply and started toward the door. Storming out, Regina growled, "I'm fine!"

SQSQSQ

Emma had busied herself in her work. There was always lots to do, and the day flew by. She was surprised at how little interaction she and Regina had that day, despite Emma being her assistant. In Regina's office, Emma was printing the last stack of documents to be sorted; then, she would be free to leave. She was a bit past her usual end time and was anxious to sort quickly. She took the papers over to the conference room, sat in the closest chair, back to the glass door, and started sorting. Not long after that, the door opened. 

"Ah good, you are almost done," Regina said in a bold way that gave Emma the impression she cared very little that she was almost done. Usually, the tone Regina used to say, 'I'm glad you're almost done with that task, cause I have another.’ 

"Anything else you will need me to do?" Emma cautiously probed. 

"No, nope." She said casually. Emma, once again, felt odd but refocused on the sorting. "So what do you mean by in the process of?" 

"Huh?"

It had been close to 10 hours since they had spoken about her son, and the conversation had seemed over. So it took her a solid second to understand what she was talking about. But in that time, Regina wasted no time. 

Regina rolled her eyes and began to speak as if Emma was simple-minded or Deaf.   
"Your, I assume, foster son. You said you are in the process of adopting him. What does that mean?" 

Emma resisted the urge to slap the smirk off her boss’s face.   
"Right. I don't know how much of the case you want to know about. Henry was originally adopted as a baby. The mother did a private adoption insisting on not only naming the baby but also requiring the couple adopting to be married." 

Regina cut in quickly, "Oh, what happened to them? They didn't want him anymore?" 

"No, nothing like that. When Henry was 8, they died in a car accident while he was at school. He always speaks fondly of them. Henry's adopted family didn't have any extended family. So when they died, he went into the system. He got upset and was acting out for a while. So he bounced around a bit. My long term boyfriend, now ex, and I were trying to have a child. When we found out I couldn't have one, he bailed. I thought we could adopt and started the process. I decided after he left to keep going with the process. My Licensing Agent said it would be good to start Fostering first. When Henry got placed with me, it felt right from the beginning. He tested me, of course, but I grew up in the system; I remember how it was. Henry's CASA Volunteer and DCS worker both want me to adopt him, but the process is long. I had hoped the judge would approve the adoption at the last hearing, but she pushed it out three more months. Henry's CASA tells me it is because the judge wants to try to find his birth mom. Since his birth mom had wanted a married couple, the judge thinks she might want to take him back if she knew the private couple she found for him had died. Of course, DCS has been looking for his mom for years, so I don't think it will be much longer. I guess she gave a fake name. The dad listed on Henry's birth certificate died before Henry was ever born, and though he was never married, Henry's mom listed herself as having the same last name. Henry's CASA, and I kind of figure she must have been engaged to him and was already going by what would have been her new last name. But since social media wasn't what it is today, we have no idea who she is." Emma began to stack the newly sorted papers in alternating directions as she finished. "Henry's curious, of course, but worried about the reasons why. I aged out of the system, never knowing a single thing about my parents and never getting a family of my own. Just all the care his mom took to ensure he got a good family tells me she cares. I had hoped to have all this sorted by his 15th birthday. But with the judge delaying it, it doesn't look like that will happen. I'm not too worried about the adoption going through, but I know Henry is." 

"Wow, sounds like quite a process. They really can't find another married couple to adopt the boy?" 

Emma felt her blood boiling, but she took a steady breath.   
"Henry is my son. I have felt that from the moment he entered my home. I love him, and he loves me. DCS says I have steady employment of 2 and a half years, plus the seven years before that at basically the same job. I make more than enough to provide for myself and Henry. Henry isn't a small child, he can get to and from school independently. I am there for him as soon as I get off work." Emma could feel herself getting madder with each sentence, until she took a breath.

"You have worked here for two and a half years?", Regina said in amazement. "I thought you've only been my assistant for six months." 

It was Emma's turn to roll her eyes.   
"I worked my way up to being your assistant. Believe it or not, this is not only a raise but a better work environment than my last job. The last place was so full of drama it would give the Grimm Brothers a run for their money." Emma said dryly.

Regina laughed, a sound Emma rarely heard, "I hope you mean without all the eye-gouging." 

Emma smiled and felt her anger leave as she remembered how awful her last place was. "Oh, there was lots of figurative eye-gouging too!" 

"And I thought being the Evil Queen was Grimm Brother worthy." 

Emma was shocked at how causal Regina was about this insult everyone called her.   
"You really don't mind that everyone calls you that?" 

Regina laughed again. "Well, I know they don't call me it because I look like that ugly hag in the movie. I mean, come on," She fanned her arm up and down her body showing off her figure. It was phenomenal. "They think I'm a hard ass, so they work harder. I'm fine with that." 

"It also might have something to do with all the apples you keep every…" It struck Emma for the first time, "You keep all these apples around to encourage the name, don't you?" Each room, including the conference room, had a small basket of fresh red apples somewhere within the room. In this room, the apples were in the center of the extra-large table. Regina laughed as she reached over and grabbed an apple. She never allowed anyone else to eat the apples. Yet Emma often saw her eating the apples. 

"Yes. I brought the apples in after the first time I overheard someone calling me the Evil Queen. I cried all night that first time. Finally, I thought at least they thought of me like a Queen, as opposed to a Wicked Witch or something awful like that. Then I remembered all the awful things I used to call my boss, and it became much easier to embrace it. That and I actually do like apples. I think that is how they thought of it the first time." 

Emma found herself smiling at the idea that Regina didn't mind the name, and I went so far as even to mock along too. Regina tossed Emma the apple. Emma caught it in the stack of papers she held. As Regina threw it, she said, "I hope everything works out with your son. I'm glad to hear he is in a place with someone who obviously cares about him. He is welcome around here, whenever. So long as it doesn't distract you from your work. I like his tenacity and courage." 

Emma felt shocked. She took the apple, realizing how hungry she was since she had worked through lunch. She cautiously bit into it as she said, "Thanks, I appreciate that." Emma turned to file the now sorted papers. She still felt in shock at how friendly this new side of her boss felt. And how delicious this Red Delicious apple is. She quickly filed the papers and went home to her son.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK Swemmies. These 2 chapters were tasters. We hope they have wet you palettes for more. 3rd chapter has been claimed and written, but won't be put up until the story is completed. We have 13 writers in total so far. If you would like to contribute then please sign up. Please comment below to let us know what you think so far and if you are interested in signing up.


	3. By Catchthese1000hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regina pays Emma a visit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your patience, everyone. We hope you enjoy chapter three by catchthese1000hands

Chapter 3: A Night In  
by catchthese1000hands

“Hey, mom. How was work?” Henry asked as he searched the internet for any clues on his birth mother.

She kicked off her shoes and let down her hair, “Not as bad as I thought it was gonna be. I thought she’d for sure get on me for having you in the office yesterday, but she was chill about it. For the most part.”

He briefly looked up from his laptop, “So you aren’t in trouble, right? I swear I thought I was out of everyone’s way yesterday.”

“Oh no no no no no, you were fine, kid,” she answered as she ruffled his hair then headed to the kitchen, “She can just be a little cranky sometimes. Usually, she just keeps to herself most of the time. She ignores the rest of us unless it’s me, and she needs a cup of coffee or the files organized. Anyway, what do you want for dinner?”

Henry slowly closed his laptop and turned to face Emma, “Actually…”

The blonde sighed and rolled her eyes as she smirked at the teenager, “What is it this time?”

“Nick and Ava invited me, Paige, Roland, and Violet to their church’s potluck thing. They said they’d pick me up and drop me off, and I’ll have my ringer on so you can call me whenever you want; I’ll even leave on my location. Please?!” He begged.

She cocked her head and thought on it, “How bout this? If you can clean your room and do the dishes before Mr. Tillman gets here, then you can go.”

A smile beamed onto Henry’s face as he raced to his room to clean it. Emma watched him dart off and smiled to herself; seeing him excited to clean was a once in a lifetime sight to see. She listened to things being tossed around in his room before she turned to the fridge.

“Leftovers it is.” She reached in and grabbed last night's tomato soup and grilled cheese and reheated it. Before the microwave even went off, Henry was in the kitchen scrubbing away at the dishes, “Woah, kid. You’re already done with your room?”

He nodded as he continued scrubbing, “Yeah, well, Nick & Ava are gonna be here in like 20 minutes, so I had to rush. It’s clean tho, I swear.”

“I’ll be the judge of that after I eat my dinner.”

“You’re having grilled cheese again? They never taste the same the day after. I can bring you back something from this church thing.”

She shook her head, “No, all grilled cheese is good grilled cheese. Besides, the soup helps.”

“I’m sure it does,” he said with the roll of his eyes, “Anyway, that is the last dish, and now I’m all done.” He checked his phone before speaking again, “And Nick & Ava are here.”

He grabbed his hoodie and slipped on his sneakers before heading to the door, “Love you, mom.”

“Love you too! Text me when you get there!” She yelled out as the door was closing. She heard him yell something in return before it shut completely. She laughed as she retrieved her dinner and set it on the table. She was kind of relieved. Henry was away because she could finally have some time to herself. It’s been a little hectic with the adoption process, and the birth mother fiasco, and work just piling up… It was nice to have some time by herself. She decided to grab a box of wine from her secret stash. She got a glass and filled it to the brim before putting on some music and heading to the living room.

The first song to come on was "Talking to the Moon" by Bruno Mars. She strutted to the couch while belting out the words and sipping her cheap box wine. It was a simple night-in that she had needed for a while. While she was belting the song, she wasn’t really singing to or about anyone in particular. She just really liked the song, and as it ended, she headed to the kitchen to refill her glass. Just as the second song started, she heard a knock at the door. She paused for a second as if she got caught doing something illegal. She wasn’t expecting any visitors, and if it were Henry, he would’ve just walked in. Before another thought could pass, the person beyond the door knocked again.

She set her glass down, “Uh, one second,” she then hurried to the door and leveled her ear on the door, trying to listen to whoever was on the other side, “Who is it?”

Instead of a response, she just heard another knock. So she sighed and rolled her eyes as she opened the door, “What?!”

But as she looked at the person standing in front of her, she immediately swallowed her words and sass in regret. The brunette on the other side of the door had her eyebrows cocked and a seemingly permanent scowl on her face.

“Regina- er um Miss Mills, ” she managed to get out as she fixed her hair, “Uh- what are you doing here, Miss Mills?”

Regina gripped her bag and swung her hair out of her face, “Aren’t you going to invite me in?”

Emma stepped to the side, allowing room for Regina to walk in, “Uh, yeah sure. Come in. Can I get you something to drink?” She asked as she pushed aside her glass of wine, “Water? Juice? Soda?”

Regina walked around the apartment, observing all it had to offer, or lack thereof. She didn’t mean to, but her face formed an unpleasant grimace as she turned every so often to study the place, “I’ll take that wine you’re trying to hide from me.”

“Um, while I’d be happy to give you some Miss Mills, I don’t think this is the type of wine you’re accustomed to.”

Regina stopped looking around the apartment to face her assistant with the most cunning looking of smirks on her face, "I’ll take that wine now, Miss Swan.”

The blonde nodded curtly as she hurried off to find a decent looking glass to serve her cheap boxed wine to her boss. After filling it up appropriately and handing it to the now seated brunette, she watched as she took her first sip, and her face immediately scrunched up in disgust from the taste.

“Perhaps you were right about the wine.”

Emma laughed nervously as she took the cup from the older woman, “I tried to warn you, Miss Mills.”

She waved her hand around, indicating for Emma to disregard something, “Please. We’re outside of the office. Regina will be just fine.”

Emma looked at the woman skeptically as she placed the glass down, “Ok then, Regina… Not that it’s not always a pleasure to see you 5 out of 7 days of the week from 9-5, but to what do I owe the pleasure?”

Regina cleared her throat as she crossed her arms, hooked her ankles together, and pushed the hair out of her eyes, “I would like to talk to you about your son.”

Emma mirrored her bosses body language from her spot across the room, “Um, what does Henry have to do with-“

“I just want to make sure that you and he are ok.”

The blonde cocked her head, confused as to how they got to this topic.

“We’re fine.”

“I don’t mean to alarm you. I just- I want you to know that he is welcomed at the office at any time. I didn’t mean to be so… abrasive today at work. Still, after hearing you explain your situation, I just want to let you know the company can be very helpful in aiding and adapting to different family dynamics. I myself was raised by a single father, and I know he couldn’t do a lot of what he did without help. So this is me trying to pay it forward years later.”

Emma could sense that there was some deceit in this explanation, but not a lot of it. For the most part, the office's Evil Queen was telling the truth.

“Well, ok. Thank you, but Henry and I are fine. It was just yesterday there was a mix up on schedules with the sitter. So it was a very last-minute solution.”

Regina took in a deep breath and smiled, “Well, nevertheless, I just want you to know that the company is here for whatever it is you need, to be able to be fully functional at work as well as be a great mom to your son. Whom I’m sure you’ll be able to adopt with no problem.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

The two awkwardly basked in the silence before Regina stood up from the couch, “Well, I better get going.”

Emma rocked back on her heels as she nodded in agreement. She walked Regina to the door, and the brunette turned to face her employee.

“Anything. Anything you and Henry need, ok?”

“Yes, thank you, Miss Mi-”

Regina gave her a look, and she corrected herself, “Regina. Thank you, Regina; I will keep that in mind.”

She smiled awkwardly and attempted to leave, but before she made it out the door, she turned back to face Emma, “Question, it just kinda popped up in my head. Why does he need a sitter? 14 sounds a little old for a sitter.”

Emma shrugged, “I am a little overprotective, I admit, but he’s turned out great, so I gotta be doing something right.”

Regina nodded as if she accepted the answer, not that Emma needed her validation, but with that answer, she left the apartment and the blonde to their own devices. Emma hoped that Henry was having a less awkward night with his friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We will see you next Sunday with the next chapter


	4. By SereneQueen92

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amongst other things, Regina goes to see her best friend for some advice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thanks to the brains behind the incredible challenge and catchthese1000hands, thank you for writing chapter 3. This chapter is a direct continuation of that.

Chapter 4

Please let me see him

By SereneQueen92

Despite the silence permeating the air that night, Regina could not deny the thoughts running through her head. Not only was she elated that Henry could be her son she believed to be lost to her forever, but despite what happened to his adoptive parents, he ended up with a wonderful loving woman who just so happened to work for her. She also couldn’t deny Emma Swan’s attractiveness either. These thoughts plagued her all the way back home and well into the wee hours of the morning.

Sqsqsqsqsqsqsqsqsqsqsqsqsqsq

“Thank you for coming, Miss Swa, and thank you for bringing young Henry.” Regina greeted in a formal tone as she sat down behind her desk and looked at the two who sat before her. 

“What’s this about, Miss Mills?” Emma asked, her voice laced with uncertainty. Henry’s similar expression didn’t go unnoticed by the regal woman across from them as she tried to formulate how to say what she wanted.

“Yeah, what‘s this about, and on a Saturday? Why am I even here?” Henry snapped. Regina was entirely out of her element. Regina quickly shook her head to recompose herself. 

“Emma, do you remember telling me Henry’s story?” Regina began cautiously. Emma merely nodded in response. Regina then turned to Henry before she said what she had come to say. “Henry…...based on what Emma has told me…..I think……. I am your birth mother.” Regina finished. The silence in the room was palpable. You could almost hear a bead of sweat drop from Regina’s brow as she sat there anxiously waiting. The first to react was Henry sporting a look of sheer panic as he quickly turned Emma.

“Please don’t let her take me away from you.” Henry rushed out nervously. He and Emma could not be more in sync if they tried as Emma said her next words.

“Run, Kid, get out of here, and don’t let her find you.” Henry did as he was told as Emma turned back to Regina. “You gave him up. He is MY son now, and you won’t be coming anywhere near him, lady. Consider this my resignation.” Emma snapped before she ran out of the room after her son.

“Wait, NO!” Regina desperately called out, holding a hand out to try and stop Emma, but it was too late. The door slammed closed, leaving Regina alone.

Sqsqsqsqsqsqsqsqsq

Regina shot up out of bed with a scream in the dead of night. It took a second, but she eventually realized that it was all a terrible nightmare. She needed advice on handling this without scaring them off, and there was only one person she could turn to. Regina grabbed the phone from her nightstand and texted her.

‘Reggie: Hey, Katie, I need your advice about something that has come up. When would be a good time to talk? 

Kathryn Midas, or Katie to most of her former classmates, had been Regina’s lifelong best friend since pre-school. They often thought of each other as soul sisters. Regina tried to fight sleep, fearing more nightmares of her son and his mother, whom she respected running from her again, but eventually, the challenge became too great, and sleep soon overtook her. The days went by in monotony with nothing new arising and no further word from Kathryn. She was busy as one of Boston’s top prosecutors, so nothing would come of Regina’s text until Saturday. Regina also made sure to distance herself from Emma unless absolutely necessary not to blurt out any of her suspicions without a game plan in place. 

Sqsqsqsqsqsqsqsqsq

Eventually, Regina was awakened by the Saturday morning light. Thankfully, no more nightmares plagued her that night, so Regina was able to wake naturally. The first thing she did was check her phone, hoping her friend texted back. Sure enough, there was a text waiting for her upon checking. 

Katie: Hey, Reggie, I’m free all day today. Why don’t we do lunch today? 

Regina quickly replied, eager to see her friend again and to get the advice she needed. Regina spent the morning cleaning, so she didn’t have to worry about it when she got home. It didn’t take that long to finish everything she needed to do and get ready. They decide to meet at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse at noon, so Regina left her house by 11 to make sure she knew where she was going.

Sqsqsqsqsqsqsqsqsqsqsqsqsqsqsqsqsq

“Gina!” Kathryn exclaimed the moment she saw her friend heading toward the restaurant. 

“Good morning, Katie,” Regina replied as she took the other woman’s arm and led them in. That day, they decided to dine at Ruth’s Chris Steak House because, although it was the weekend, both Regina and Kathryn chose to keep things high class. Once they were seated, Kathryn wasted no time in interrogating her best friend. 

“Alright, Reggie, what’s going on?” Kathryn asked. Regina took a deep breath and attempted to tell her best friend, but they were interrupted by the waiter, who proceeded to take their orders. Once their food and drinks were taken care of, Kathryn pressed again. “Alright, spill, Mills.” 

“Alright then, Midas, do you remember 14 years ago when I gave a baby boy up for adoption?” Regina asked nervously. 

“How could I forget? You almost mutilated my hand with how hard you squeezed it.” Kathryn sniped. Regina just shook her head before continuing. 

“Yes, Well, if you remember, I requested that he be named Henry by whoever adopted him, and yet by a cruel twist of fate; he somehow ended up in the care of an employee of mine,” Regina concluded, bafflement lacing her voice at the bizarre circumstances. 

“And you are unsure how to handle the situation?” Kathryn guessed. 

“Correct. I want to get to know him, but I don’t know how he will feel about that.” before Kathryn can respond, their meals arrive, and they can’t help but take note of the tantalization the food is causing. They take a moment to admire their meals before digging in. When she finished her first bite of the hearty steak, she begins to speak. 

“I think perhaps you should explain to both her AND Henry what you believe to be the truth,” Kathryn advised as she took another sip of her wine. Regina began to fidget with her hands as she became more nervous. 

“What if they turn away from me. I had a nightmare in which they literally ran as if I was some kind of evil queen who steals children.” Kathryn chuckled at the ‘evil queen’ comment as she tried not to spill her drink. 

“The best thing you can do, Reggie, is tell them and don’t have any expectations. Let them make the next move and let the conversation go from there,” Kathryn advised calmly. Regina nodded in confirmation and acceptance of her friend’s answer. Regina offered to pay as lunch wrapped up, friendly hugs were exchanged, and they parted ways. On her way back home, Regina decided to call Emma.

“Hello?” Emma said, confused as to why her boss would be calling on a Saturday. 

“Hello Emma, I was wondering if I could see you tonight. There is something I wanted to talk with you about.” Regina explained. It came out more formally than she would have hoped, but she had no other way of masking her nerves. 

“Is everything okay, Regina? ” Emma asked with worry, not only for her boss but also the results of the call. 

“I would like to talk with you in person if you don’t mind, dear. If you would like, I can bring takeout.” Regina suggested. Emma could not say no to takeout no matter where it was coming from, so she agreed to allow Regina to pick the food. This sounded serious, so she wanted to leave the ball in Regina’s court and keep her comfortable. 

“I’ll let you decide what to order, as long as you are here by six.” Emma requested. 

“And here I thought I was the superior, and you were the employee.” Regina mused with a smirk.

“That may be true, Miss Mills, but for one thing, you are coming to my home, and for another, perhaps I have been spending too much time around you,” Regina said flirtatiously. She wasn’t quite sure where that came from, but it was too late to undo it. 

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6:00 had come around faster than Regina was prepared for, but it didn’t stop her from being on time and prepared. Regina knocked on the door and was soon met by a casually dressed Emma. 

“Hey Regina, how are you tonight.”

“I’m quite fine, thank you, Emma; how about yourself?” 

“I’m fine; please come in. May I take your coat?” Emma asked.

“OF course you may, Thank you, Emma.” Emma removed the coat in response and hung it up. However, as she did, she realized Regina was holding three bags.

“Regina, why do you have three meals there?” Emma asked skeptically as she led them to the living room in front of the coffee table. 

“One of these is for Henry. This concerns him too.” Regina explained as she set the bags down and began to unpack them.

“Henry, can you come out here, please?” Emma called in the direction of Henry’s bedroom. Henry soon came out to say he was surprised to say Regina was an understatement.

“Miss Mills, what are you doing here? I can leave if you want to talk to my mom alone.” Henry said as he began to make for the door. 

“Actually, this concerns you as well, young man,” Regina explained. Henry merely sat down as Regina used the title. Once everyone sat down, Regina served the food and began to explain the circumstances of her giving birth when she was younger. Upon explaining everything, Henry was still puzzled.

“Okay, but how do I factor in here?” Henry asked. Regina took a deep breath as she took both of his hands.

“Henry, while Emma has taken you in and you see her as your mother, I am your biological mother.


	5. By Noname_Kat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma, Regina and Henry have a talk.

Chapter 5 - This Mess We’re In - Noname_Kat 

“You’re Henry’s birth mother?!” Emma couldn’t believe what she was hearing, but it made perfect sense. It shined a light on the way Regina had been acting recently. Her mood swings and awkward interactions when it came to Henry. This stunning revelation entirely explained her odd behavior.

“Yes, I am.” Regina was still looking at Henry, and Emma followed her gaze to her son’s surprisingly calm face. She wanted to rush over to him and wrap him up in a protective embrace. Now was not the time for that, however. Turning back to her boss, she took in Regina’s nervous stance.

“Are, are you sure?” Regina turned to look at her, and Emma could see her eyes shining with unshed tears. There was something about the look on the woman’s face that made Emma suddenly realize something. The resemblance to Henry was so obvious to her now, and she wondered how she could have possibly missed it before.

“How many boys do you believe were given up for adoption fourteen years ago that had instructions to be named Henry, Miss Swan?” Emma could only slowly nod at Regina’s words before she turned her attention back to Henry.

“Are you okay, kid?” He nodded his head a bit aggressively. Emma noticed his knee was bouncing up and down with nervous energy. Jumping up from the couch, he did a quick look at the two of them and bolted from the room. Emma heard a mumbled ‘I need a moment’ or at least that’s what she thought she heard him say as he dashed off to his room.

“I’m sorry.” Emma turned back to a very nervous looking Regina who was twisting her fingers together in front of her stomach. “I really should have done this differently--”

Emma couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her lips. “Ya think?” Regina was about to say something more, but Emma held up her hand to stop her. “It’s done now. I would have maybe preferred a heads up, but what’s done is done.” She ran her hands through her hair and sighed before letting her arms fall back down to her sides. “Let’s get a drink.” Emma headed to the kitchen and immediately grabbed her boxed wine. “Sorry, you’re stuck with my shitty stuff.”

“It’ll do.” They sat in silence and took slow sips of their drinks. Emma had no clue what to say or do… What does one say to the long lost mother of the child they want to make their own?

“So...what now?” Emma played with the stem of her wine glass before looking up at Regina pointedly. “Do you...do you, ugh--” Emma pinched the bridge of her nose with her free hand in frustration. Her heart felt as though it was going to beat through her chest.

“Do I what, Miss Swan?”

“Do you want to take him from me?” She whispered the words and wondered if Regina had even heard them. She obviously had, though, when she listened to the woman’s audible gasp.

“No!” Regina placed her wine down and walked over to Emma and took her wine glass, placing it on the counter, as well. She reached out and gripped Emma’s upper arms and looked her directly in the eye. Her brown eyes were still shining with those unshed tears that looked like they could escape at any moment. “Miss Swa-- Emma... I have no intention of taking Henry from you. Far from it, in fact. I see how amazing you are with him. I would never dream of taking him away from you. I would just maybe like to get to know him…” Emma felt Regina’s hands tighten on her arms, “...but only if you both agree to it, of course.” Regina’s hands slid away, and Emma felt an odd sense of loss as the contact came to an end. Regina took a step back, but her eyes never broke away from Emma’s. They just looked into each other’s eyes for what seemed like an eternity before a voice suddenly rang out, causing them both to jump.

“I’d like to get to know you, as well, but only if my Mom is okay with it.” He turned his attention to Emma. She could only smile at his adorable yet serious face. He looked so determined and so grown-up all of a sudden. Emma gestured to the kitchen table, and the trio all took a seat. They sat in silence as their brains tried to catch up with everything that had come to light in the past few moments. Regina was the first to break the silent spell that hung over them…

“Henry. I know this news is a lot to take it and I want you to know I have no expectations. You and your mother set the rules for all of this, okay?” Henry nodded at her words but didn’t say anything. “I have no intention of getting in the way of your adoption by Emma. In fact.” Regina turned and glanced at Emma for a moment before turning her attention back to Henry. “I’m going to call the judge in charge of your case as soon as possible. I’ll make sure they know I’m one hundred percent okay with Emma adopting you. I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure it all happens quickly and smoothly.” The smile that broke out on Henry’s face could light up a universe.

“Seriously?!”

“Of course, it’s the very least I could do for you both.” Emma couldn’t stop the tears from falling when Henry jumped out of his chair and crashed into her embracing her tightly.

“Did you hear that, Ma?” She laughed at his excitement and squeezed him as tight as she could. This was the biggest hug she had received from the teenager in a while.

“I did, kid. I did.” Her eyes met Regina’s over the top of his head. She mouthed a ‘thank you’ to her boss and noted she also had a few stray tears running down her cheeks.

Clearing her throat, Regina wiped away her tears and smiled at the pair. “I know this is a lot to take in, and I know you both have a million questions. I promise to answer them all.” Henry returned to his chair and looked like he was about to ask every single one of them at that moment. Regina continued to speak before he could, however. “I think it’s best if we maybe take some time to process this before we get too deep into our backstories. I thought I truly was ready to tell you everything tonight, but just revealing this news has drained me emotionally, as I’m sure it has you both?" They both nodded in agreement. She focused on Henry and continued talking. “First of all, please do enjoy the food I brought for you tonight, it’s from my favorite restaurant. Secondly, I’d like you both to join me for dinner next Friday. I’ll make dinner, and we can all sit down afterward. We can use the time to get to know one another better. I promise to share my story with you then, and you can ask me any questions you have. I'd also love for you to tell me everything about yourselves. I want to know all there is to know about you, Henry.” She turned her attention back to Emma. “And you, as well, Emma.” Emma felt her cheeks suddenly burning at the intensity of Regina’s eyes looking at her. 

“I think that sounds like a good plan. What do you say, kid?” She reached out and ruffled his hair, and he rolled his eyes at her.

“Yeah, I’d like that.” Emma could see he was itching to ask Regina so many questions. She was thankful Regina was giving them some extra time to process everything. She would need to talk with Henry about his questions and help him ask them in ways that weren’t too forward or invasive. Whatever Regina’s reasons were for giving Henery up was her business, but if she was willing to share what those reasons were, the least they could do was to ask their questions delicately.

“Good, it’s settled then.” Regina rose from the table and smiled at them both. “I better get going. I’m sure you both have some things to discuss.” She headed for the front door as Emma and Henry followed closely behind. After grabbing her coat, Regina reached for the door but instead turned back around. “Thank you both for being so understanding. I know my behavior has been a bit odd as of late, and I suppose you both know why now.” She seemed so vulnerable, such a far cry from the ‘Evil Queen’ she was known for being at work. They both returned her shy smile and nodded in agreement. “Emma, I hope work won’t be too awkward?” Emma had forgotten entirely about work. It was the furthest thing for her mind at the moment.

“I think I can manage to keep things professional, Miss Mills.” That caused Regina to laugh. An honest to goodness full-on beautiful laugh. Emma had never heard Regina laugh in such a way before, and she found she loved the sound.

“Well, I will see you at work then.” Looking over at Henry, she smiled. “I will see you on Friday, Henry.” She turned and opened the door but stopped suddenly before making her exit. “Oh, and, Miss Swan?" Emma looked at her curiously as she turned back to face them, “Please email the information about the judge in charge of your adoption case. I expect an email to be in my inbox by the time I get home. Is that clear?” Emma tried to keep a straight face at the suddenly stern-looking woman standing before them, but she couldn’t stop the smile from breaking out on her face.

“Sure thing, boss.”


	6. By LoisLane89

Chapter 6- What are the odds? By LoisLane89

It wasn’t that Emma didn’t pay attention to her boss before, it was literally her job to make sure Regina’s needs were met during the hours 8-5, but since Saturday afternoon, all she could think about was the brunette. 

Sunday had flown by in a blur of weekend homework, tv show catch-ups, and a trip to the local comic store, all to avoid talking about the elephant in the room. Henry had seemed fine all day, only once casually asking Emma how long she thought it would take Miss Mills to call the judge, but Emma had been a wreck. A well hid under years of trauma walls wreck, but a wreck all the same. 

Regina had said she wouldn’t try to take Henry from her, she had basically promised to put in a good word for her with the state, but it wouldn't be the first time in Emma’s life that something she loved was taken from her. 

The entire week Emma had been unable to look away from her boss. She studied how Regina stirred sugar into her coffee, tapping the edge of the cup with her spoon three times, just like how Henry stirred Cocoa powder for hot chocolate. 

Emma watched Regina sit at her desk and mouth the words she was reading, in a near whisper, a contract back for the 3rd round of edits. She had never noticed that Regina whispered to herself like that; how hadn’t she noticed? Henry did it all the time when he was writing short stories or reading particularly interesting novels. 

Every small string connecting Regina and Henry she found made her feel like she was unraveling bit by bit. So she stared and looked for any obvious reason Regina Mills would make a perfect mother to her son. 

For the first time, Regina was regretting the design of her glass office. Sure she normally loved her ability to watch her employees work, but for the last few days, she felt it like she was the one in a fishbowl. As she glanced up and immediately met the bright blue eyes of her assistant, she heaved a sigh and rose to her feet. 

Miss Swan had the grace of a drunk bear as she tried to pretend she hadn't stopped working; unfortunately, in her time staring, her computer had gone dark, and in haste, she was unable to type in her password correctly. 

Regina stopped next to the desk right outside her office, “Are you getting lunch today Miss Swan?”

“Oh, yes, of course.” Emma stood and quickly grabbed a post-it, “Do you know what you’d like?” 

Regina’s lips curled up at the edges as she watched the blonde frantically look for the pen stuck in her bun. 

Red-tipped fingers danced in the corner of Emma prereferral vision before waves of honey blonde fell around her shoulder. “What are you…oh. I um, right there it is.” She said, taking the offered pen from Regina’s hand.

“So what were you thinking about? The Asian chicken salad from the cafe downstairs or that veggie wrap thing you like from Noonan’s?” Emma’s hand twitched at the ready. 

Regina continued to look over Emma, taking in her clearly distressed state. It was exceedingly rare to catch her assistant this frazzled; it was one reason she had hired her. On the day she was scheduled to interview her, the temp - under her fiery gaze - was crying at the front desk after having failed to figure out the phone system and accidentally hanging up on an important client. Emma had handed her a tissue, picked up the phone, called the client back quickly apologizing, and claimed a poor connection. Regina had never even finished the interview, and for the past two and a half years, they existed in a peace built on a degree of mutual respect and never asking too many questions. 

Now it seemed she had disturbed that peace, and as much as she wanted to learn about her son, she felt terrible for the obvious toll it was taking on the blonde.

With a final nod, she made her decision, “Actually, Miss Swan, I could use some air, and I was hoping you didn't have lunch plans and you would join me.” Before she could rethink her words, she walked directly to the elevators at the end of the hall.

Emma watched her boss walk swiftly as she processed the words. Then grabbed her jacket off the back of her chair and hurried after her. 

Ten minutes later, the pair had settled into a small table at the cafe down the street, Regina having acquired her veggie wrap and watched Emma scarf down her mountain of french fries and bacon burger. 

“Hope you feed your son more vegetables than yourself.”

Emma choked on the half-eaten fry and opened her mouth to rebut the statement but was quickly cut off.

“I’m kidding, Miss Swan. Look, I understand why you may be concerned, but I truly have no desire to take Henry from your care. He seems like a happy, well-adjusted boy, and based on what you told me about his first adoptive family and life in the system; I have to believe that is in no small part to you.” Regina was pleased to see some of the tension relax from the blonde's shoulders. “I just want the opportunity to know him.”

Emma sat silent for a few more minutes, quietly watching the fries on her plate disappear, “It isn’t that I don’t believe you. It’s that you could still change your mind. Henry is a special kid; he is smart and kind and sees the world as a much better place than he could.” She met her boss’s eyes, “He is handling all this rather well, you know. I’m sure he is busy writing up a list of questions, don’t worry, I already gave him the speech on it being up to you what you want him to know.” 

“It’s a rather short tale, I'm afraid. A young girl, lost love and too young to be raising a child alone. I just want him to know I cared about him and that even if I’m not his mother, I’ll always care about him.”

Emma leaned back in her seat and, for the first time, tried to think from Regina’s point of view. “Damn,” she said, shaking her head. 

Regina leveled her with a questioning look. “No, I mean really damn. What are the odds that of all the people in the city, you end up hiring the woman getting ready to adopt the kid you gave up for adoption? I have had Henry almost the entire time I’ve worked for you, and if his sitter hadn’t canceled, we still wouldn’t know any of this.”

“I do have to agree that it’s a little insane.”

“A little? A little is like we went to the same college across the country; this is some fate shit.”

“I take it by your increase of swearing; you’re over the not-speaking part of this lunch?” Regina said, smiling into her cup. “Not that I’m objecting; I find this version of you much more entertaining than the creepy stalker one.”

“I am not a creepy stalker!” Emma cried in offense. 

“Miss Swan, the only time you have taken your eyes off me all week was when I went into the bathroom.” Regina spoke in a reproachful tone and then sat forward, “Although I do appreciate a woman with boundaries.”

Emma looked shocked, “Did you just? Was that a joke?”

“Not if you don’t laugh, it isn’t.”

“I’m sorry, but I wasn’t aware you could even do that.”

Regina threw her napkin towards the blonde, “Excuse you, Miss Swan, but even Evil Queens can occasionally surprise you.” 

Emma’s face broke out into a real smile for the first time since they sat down, and Regina realized just how much she wanted to keep it. “I do have another question for you, on a more serious note.” 

She barreled on before the smile on Emma’s face fell completely and picked up Emma’s plate, pretending to scrutinize it. “Are you one of those people who consider pizza topping vegetables? Or should I just plan on making dinner tomorrow night vegan? You know for balance.”


	7. By Lylaslegend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Out for dinner...

Chapter 7 by Lylaslegend— Henry’s secret

Regina’s head was full of thoughts about Henry and Emma. Henry… She never thought she would see him again in her life, though there wasn’t a day that goes by without thinking about him.

Giving him up was the hardest thing she ever did in her life. For years, she thought about herself as a bad person. She hated herself for not trying enough for Henry. But she was so young, and Daniel… Oh, Daniel. He died before even knowing he was going to be a father. She always thought it would be easier to parent Henry if Daniel didn’t die. And of course, she should have prevented it. There are a lot of ways of doing that.

Henry, her dad, was suffering from terminal cancer when she found out about her pregnancy, and he didn’t live long enough to see his grandson being born. That’s why naming her baby boy Henry was so important to her. She would never forget how hard her dad fought every single day to raise her and give her the best life he could.

The fact is that everything that Regina loved was taken away from her. She was so young when death made its way into her life. Cora died before giving birth, and Henry took all Regina’s responsibilities, as he promised his wife he would. Regina wanted to be strong as her father. Regina wanted to be so brave that she didn’t give up her son, as her father never did to her.

But how could she? Daniel died in a car crash in the mountains. And not longer than that, her dad passed away. Regina was feeling so alone, so heartbroken. How could she become a good mother with all the bad things happening to her? And worse, for a while, she thought that she was cursed. No other explanation was good enough to the number of people dying around her. What if Henry - She couldn’t even think about that.

At the last minute, just after their lunch the previous day, Emma invited her for dinner at their home instead of going to Regina's. She wanted to prove to Regina that she could be healthy and provide Henry with nutritious meals. 

Henry was curious about everything and getting more anxious as the time scheduled with both of them got closer.

“Okay, Regina, you’ll be fine.” She said to her reflection. Regina tried so hard not to look like her day-to-day; she chose jeans and a t-shirt of her favorite band when she was younger. At first, she was surprised by her own reflection. It had been a long time since she had dressed like that.

Regina tried to keep her past in a box, at the core of her soul. She dedicated herself to business, learned three languages, and worked too hard to get where she was today. She needed to find a way not to succumb to everything that was killing her inside. Then she put on a mask and hid the naive girl who believed in happy endings and became a powerful businesswoman, known for her agility in achieving everything she wanted. But no matter how much she could conquer, she felt empty. Regina did become what she planned to; that hole in her soul could not be filled with anything.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

She took a deep breath before knocking on the door. And her hands started to shake when Henry's voice screamed "Coming!".

“Hello, Miss Mills.” And widening his brown eyes, she felt her cheeks burning. “Woah, you’re different.” Regina frowned, but before she could say anything, he said, “I mean, in a good way. I like Guns and Roses too!” He waited for her to come in. Regina felt her heart heat up as she saw at least a resemblance to Henry.

Regina wished she could hug him, but she would never do anything to make Henry shy away from her. Everything should happen in Henry’s time. But she never forgot the feeling of him in her arms.

“Regina, we really hope you enjoy our homemade vegetarian pizza!” Emma shouted, entering the living room, but her jaw dropped when she saw her boss dressed so casually. “Woah, you’re-”

“Different.” Regina finished her line, giving Emma a soft smile. “I know.”

“Well, I never thought the Evil Queen liked Guns and Roses.” Emma smiled.

“I suppose there’s a lot of evil things you don’t know about me, dear,” Regina smirked, and Henry cleared his throat. Regina flushed so hard, like a teenager being caught flirting with her crush. But Emma is definitely not Regina’s crush. And she’s not a teenager.

“Henry, sweetheart, why don’t you go watch something with Regina? I’ll be there in a while.” Emma said, trying to hide her own red cheeks.

“Sure!” He sat on the couch, taking the TV remote to put on Netflix. “What do you wanna see?”

“Hmm, why don’t you surprise me?” Regina said, looking at him as he navigated the menu. Then he chose Lucifer and Regina smiled. “I like that.”

Henry started the episode, and no matter how much Regina tried, she couldn’t take her attention from him. He is so grown up now and doesn’t even need Regina anymore. Of course, she tried to give him his best chance, but she wasn’t there when he needed her the most. She sighed sadly. Regina is a very wealthy woman, but no money in the world could buy her a time machine. But at least he looks happy with Emma.

“I’m done!” Emma said, making Regina startle slightly. “Sorry, Regina. Hmm, Lucifer? I love that! But dinner is ready, and Miss Mills needs to taste the Swan’s broccoli pizza! It’s kind of our family business, isn’t kiddo?” Henry nods his head in agreement.

“Oh, so you do feed him with vegetables sometimes, do you?” Regina teased, and Henry raised his eyebrows.

“Ma is always eating like a child.” He sighed, and Regina chuckled.

“I think we have a plot against me here.” Emma pouted.

“Oh, don’t be so dramatic, dear.” Regina put her hand on Emma’s arms, and the blonde felt her heart missing a beat. “Well, I’m hungry. Are we going to eat that famous pizza or not?”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Hmm,” Regina said, wiping her mouth with a cloth napkin. “I’m really impressed with that hidden talent of yours, Miss Swan.”

“Henry is the secret,” Emma whispered, winking at Henry and noticing he was pretty quiet. “What’s up, kiddo?”

“Nothing, Ma, it’s just-” He sighed, looking down. “I know we’re a family, you and I, but tonight made me remember Mary and David.” He whispered, closing his eyes as he said something wrong. Emma and Regina made him feel that same family atmosphere that he felt with his adoptive parents. And perhaps he was confusing things, but he felt that Emma and Regina liked each other romantically. Although Emma never said anything and he didn't even know enough about Regina.

“There’s nothing wrong with missing them, kiddo. They loved you so much; you know that. And I’m sure they’re proud of you, wherever they are.” Emma smiled, touching his hands. Regina felt her heart sink and wanted to say something to comfort him, but she couldn't formulate anything.

“I’m sorry, Regina,” Henry said, looking at her with teary eyes.

“There’s nothing to be sorry for, Henry.” She tried to smile. “In fact, I’m happy they did to you what they promised me. I always wanted you to be happy and to grow in a lovely place. And your mom is right, they're proud of you, and they’re happy that Emma found you, I'm sure.”

“So you don’t hate me?” He frowned.

“Wait, why would I hate you, sweetheart?” She asked, confused. “I am not in a position to demand anything. And to be honest, just being able to get to know you is enough for me.”  _ And more than I certainly deserve. _ She didn’t say that out loud, but Emma's look made her think that the blonde was reading her thoughts.

  
  



End file.
